Archive for April, 2015

Two scenes have unfolded in the last week or so. We need to pray. First, the on-going unrest in Baltimore. We have a number of sister churches in the City of Baltimore. New Song Church is pastored by Louis Wilson. The rioting has literally been a stone’s throw from this congregation in the neighborhood called Sandtown. Many in the church knew the man well who is an the center of the controversy. On morning following a night of destruction, pastors and members of our sister churches filled the streets and sidewalks to help clean up the area. It was a bueatiful display of loving service, pride for the community, and solidarity. The people of Sandtown, though poor, are extremely proud of their community. Now the violence has extended further into the city and it has affected communities with three other sister churches of ours. Please pray for the pastors and elders of those churches, and for peace and healing in the community.

From our foreign mission agency- Mission to the World: MTW: Help Victims of Nepal’s Earthquake! As you have no doubt seen on the news, a massive earthquake devastated Nepal on Saturday, April 25, 2015. More than 3,200 have lost their lives and thousands more are injured and homeless.Our national partners are experiencing the devastating effects of the earthquake firsthand. Eighteen people died while gathered for worship in one of our partner churches. Another partner church, though damaged itself, has become a temporarily shelter for 150 community members who’ve lost their homes. In Nepal we partner with national pastors who oversee churches, children’s homes, two schools, and a home for widows.These pastors are helping to grow the Church in Nepal. Now we can step forward to serve them.
First and foremost—please pray for our friends in Nepal. Then, please consider an online donation to help meet critical needs in the wake of this disaster.

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. – Romans 14:17

When we came home from traveling to South America this January, I was left with an impression I couldn’t shake. I think I began feeling it one morning after talking to a Polish man on our ship during a day at sea. This man asked to share a table with me at the breakfast buffet. Right away, he began to open up with me as if we had known each other for a long time. (Or, perhaps he was opening up with me because he knew he would never see me again!) He explained that he had owned and operated two hotels on the west coast of Florida. He grew tired of the work, and retired. He explained that he and his wife take four to six long cruises a year to most anywhere. The destination did not matter to him because he rarely gets off the ship. Instead, he uses his time to play blackjack. Here is what struck me most about this man: he had all the resources and opportunity to have an immensely enjoyable life, but he was profoundly unhappy.

Then I began to see this pattern with many others we met. They were “living the life,” but joy was entirely absent. I started people-watching when we returned home, especially observing faces. I began asking: what emotion do I see? Is there contentment? Happiness? Joy? I saw worry, anxiety, concern, boredom. Only for brief moments did I see flashes of happiness. Then I remembered what Sigmund Freud said in his Civilization and Its Discontents. He said that human advances have made us almost godlike, but we are not happy.

These things that, by his science and technology, man has brought about on this earth … not only sound like a fairy tale, they are an actual fulfillment of every–or almost every–fairy-tale wish. All these assets he may lay claim to as his cultural acquisition. Long ago he formed an ideal conception of omnipotence and omniscience, which he embodied in his gods. To these gods he attributed everything that seemed unattainable to his wishes… Today he has come very close to the attainment of this ideal, he has almost become a god himself… But, present-day man does not feel happy in his godlike character. – Freud in his Civilization and Its Discontents

This struck me as true. We have gained so much, but in the end our faces are downcast. Where can we find joy? That’s what set Christians apart from the very beginning. They manifested a remarkable and sustaining joy the world had never seen. Where did it come from? That is what we will be exploring in worship for the next month.

Before we get started, I invite you to share in the practice of people-watching, looking for signs as you read people’s faces that give a hint to what they are feeling and experiencing. In addition, note how you are feeling as you go through the day. Take a few moments to gauge how you see life: are you hopeful and encouraged? Is there contentment? Is there joy? Then bring your experience along as we start this journey together.

We were booked on a red-eye flight back to Miami. That gave us the entire day to spend in Santiago. We heard that a free city walking tour begins each weekday in Plaza de Armas. The literature said to meet in front of the Santiago Cathedral right at 10am. We were skeptical but decided to go and check it out. We were pleasantly surprised to find a twenty-something man wearing a red tee-shirt with large lettering advertising “Free City Tour” on it. He allowed people to gather for about 15 minutes before leaving. He provided us a map and told us that indeed the tour was free. At the end, people would have the opportunity to give him a tip for his services. Nothing more was asked.

He was immensely knowledgable about the city and the history. The first stop was right in Plaza de Armas. Our tour guide explained that in opposite corners of the plaza were statues revealing the conflict of the earliest days in Santiago. In one corner of the plaza Pedro de Valdivia rides his horse as if in victory. But, if you look closely, there are no reins in his hand. While he was the first governor of the new settlement of Santiago in 1541, ultimately he was defeated by the Mapuche Indians who destroyed the city and killed him. So yes, he seems to be riding in strength, but he is not holding the reins of power or history.

Mapuche statue in Plaza de Armas

At the other side of the plaza stands a stone statue of a Mapuche. The broken stone well expresses the experience of the Mapuche people who lived in brokenness through the colonial period continually fighting to preserve their land and heritage. The fighting between the parties never really ended. Every people battle for place and significance, to protect what is theirs. This was the perfect place to start the walking tour and to learn the early history of the city.

From there our guide took us through the streets past the Pre-columbian Museum of Chile. Sadly, it is closed on Monday, but it is a “must see” to take in the early history of Chile and the native peoples from Peru to Patagonia. Around the corner from the museum were two cultural curiosities. First, there is “the Rapid” sandwich shop that is the native fast food of Chile. (You can see a youtube video of what they do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaVOC6wT5zE ). They serve sandwiches and empanadas, and yes, they do it very quickly! Next door you will find Cafe Haiti. Remember, we learned that the people of Chile like sweet drinks! This makes selling coffee difficult. The solution: they have established coffee shops around Santiago that our tour guide called “Coffee with Legs.”

These coffee shops have no places to sit. Visitors drink their coffee standing up. You may wonder: how can coffee have legs? The servers are beautiful women who wear outfits that show a lot of leg, hence the “Coffee with Legs!” This is a new wrinkle on Starbucks baristas! Now of course, the way things work, there are more progressive coffee houses that show even more than legs, whose windows are darkened. These are the lengths to which some will go to sell coffee in Chile!

From the museum area we walked through the financial district. Our guide told us how the country changed under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet ruled Chile from 1973 to 1981. He was swept into power following a U.S. backed coup against Salvador Allende, the socialist president elected by the people. Apparently, the U.S. was concerned that in Allende they might have another communist country like Cuba arise in the backyard.

Pinochet and the military stormed the presidential palace in September 1973. Allende committed suicide before he could be taken into custody. Early on Pinochet decided to reform the economy of the country. Inflation in the early 70s had been 1000%. He sent the “Chicago Boys,” about a hundred male Chilean economists, to the University of Chicago to learn how to create a market economy. They returned to bring about what has often been called the “Miracle of Chile.” Pinochet provided them key positions in and outside of government so that they could reproduce an economy that reflected the U.S. The result was an increase in wages, and in general, a raising of the standard of living in Chile. Even today, Chile has the strongest and most stable economy in Latin America.

Here’s what was most interesting to us. We heard impassioned speeches from both sides of the Pinochet debate. We heard people speak of the people he had killed to clear the decks for change in Chile. More than 1/2 million were arrested or detained at various times during his rule. The nation lived for years under a curfew that meant you could be shot or arrested if found outside at night. Then we heard people praising the advances Chile made during his dictatorship. Even today, the people of Chile remain greatly divided over this man. Ultimately, he lost power in an election.

Interestingly enough, the current President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, is enacting policy that Allende had proposed all those years ago!

From the financial district we walked to the Presidential palace. It is called La Moneda because the national mint is there. We could see where the army arrived and the bullets flew when the coup took place. This is a very important place to visit to understand the modern history of Chile.

From the palace our tour wound through the streets of Barrio Lastarria, the place we visited the day before. Passing through Bellavista, we were given an explanation of the favorite native foods of the people of Santiago. Our guide was kind enough to show us a few places we could get authentic food to sample. We returned after the tour ended.

Sandy trying conger stew in Bellavista!

The last stop on the tour was the home of Pablo Neruda. He is the poet-diplomat of Chile and beloved of the people. He has a number of homes in Chile, and this one on the outskirts of Bellavista belonged to his mistress that he later married. The house is part history and part shrine to this man. His words captured the hearts of the people of Chile when he was quite young because he brought together the common and the sublime. For example, he wrote a now-famous “Ode to Conger Chowder.” Conger chowder is an eel stew much enjoyed in Chile! He also wrote an ode to his socks. (Yes, you read that correctly.) His poems capture life as the people know it, but then add a beauty and familiarity that makes life experiences of every day more enjoyable. Of course, he also wrote about the country he loved, politics and much more. His writing has left an indelible impression on Chile. Each of his homes have nautical themes as he loved everything about boats and the sea.

Before our tour ended we tipped our guide, and also pumped him for information about the neighborhoods of Santiago. Following our visit to the Neruda house and at the end of the tour, Sandy and I retraced our steps to a restaurant in Bellavista where we could sample the Conger chowder!

We did not have much time before catching our flight home, but we wanted to follow a lead our tour guide had given us. He recommended we take the metro to Barrio Brasil. We emerged from the metro to this beautiful community built over a hundred years ago by the wealthy of Santiago. The buildings retain their historic character, but some have fallen into disrepair. This was the reminder we needed as we prepared to fly home to Miami. Each generation must love the city for it to be sustained and for it to thrive. We see that with our city as neighborhoods change and as the city grows.

Along the way, God was reminding us to love the city he has placed us in, to invest in the developing of culture and tradition and life. We came home longing for a growing sense of culture at home, and desiring to love and serve the city by contributing in the ways we can.

We were glad to be going home but appreciative of all that we had the chance to experience. We were enchanted by the beautiful people and the culture of Latin America and we were looking forward to the day we could return.

After awakening early on Sunday and enjoying a hotel breakfast, we rode the metro red line to Los Dominicos. This is the last stop on the line and it lies very near a Dominican Monastery. A scenic park and beautiful grounds greet you as soon as you walk from the metro station. From there, we made a fifteen minute walk, nearly a mile, to San Marcos Church. This is a sister church of Granada established by a team led by Sam Mateer. They did not know we were coming to join them for worship, and somehow we managed to walk in just as the service was starting. It felt like home. The music, the message, the people…it is a beautiful community of people.

In some ways it felt like the reverse of Granada. San Marcos is the English speaking church that shares space and ministry with a Spanish speaking church. These two congregations are united by more than a common worship facility. They share life in the same presbytery. In the San Marcos Church there were people from the U.S. and a number of other English speaking countries such as the Philippines. The building is contemporary and set in a very nice suburb of the city. (You can find the church’s website at: http://sanmarcoschurch.cl/)

Sam and Lois Mateer planted this church. Sam explained to me that when he was being commissioned as a missionary, he visited Granada, and the church helped to send them off. Sam retired a few months ago, and a new younger pastor named Samuel Lago who grew up in Santiago has taken leadership. The transition seems to have worked wonderfully.

Lunch with San Marcos congregation

One of the traditions of this church is that following worship each week, everyone is invited to a local mall to share lunch together in the food court. This gives everyone the chance to get the food they want and then to visit together at a common table. Sandy and I loved this time because it gave us a chance to meet the people, to learn about the history of their church and also to make new friends. And yes, there is very little difference between the mall there and the mall here! And no, we did not eat McDonalds! The greatest joy for us was seeing the gospel at work in this great city. People are coming to faith in Christ and growing as disciples. New churches continue to be planted there.

From San Marcos Church we rode the metro back into town and began walking through the neighborhoods near our hotel. Just beyond Santa Lucia is Barrio Lastarria. This is a small neighborhood filled with small cafes, art galleries and some small bookshops. It has a very bohemian feel, and there are artists doing and showing their work on the sidewalks. The area reminded us of some of the small streets of Paris. Barrio Lastarria also happens to be the location of the best of Santiago’s ice cream shop, Emporio La Rosa. This is a place you want to hang out. When you enter you decide how many scoops you want, buy a ticket and then exchange your ticket for the ice cream flavors of your choice. Some of the flavors were a bit unusual. Thankfully, another patron stepped in to explain the ropes and tell us about the choices.

Ice Cream in Barrio Lastarria

It is always more fun to explore ice cream in hand. On the weekends antiques and books are sold along the sidewalks. You can imagine, the neighborhood is full of foot traffic. We could have spent the whole afternoon here.

From Barrio Lastarria we made our way through Parque Forestal and along the river. The park was laid out and commissioned at the centenary of Chile. From one end to the other the monuments were gifts given to the government of Chile from other countries for this celebration. The United States provided an interesting statue of Abraham Lincoln. The German Government provided an immense fountain that graces one end of the park. On warm summer days, families enjoy the park while their children use the fountain as a swimming venue! The beautiful trees and the monuments make the park a beautiful place to relax and people-watch.

German Fountain in Parque Forestal

After walking the length of the park and crossing the river, we entered into another neighborhood called Bellavista. This neighborhood is the center of nightlife. Shops, boutiques, and restaurants fill a huge section next to the university. Bellavista became the hotspot for evening entertainment during the days when the city was bound in by the river. If you crossed the river, you left the jurisdiction of the city authorities. It was an anything-goes sort of place. Today it is a place for nice restaurants and evening entertainment of all kinds. We stopped in the shopping area to look for gifts we could take home for our kids.

From there we made our way to the base of the hill just north of Bellavista. It is called Cerro San Cristobal. This hill rises steeply to the summit where there is an immense statue of the Virgin Mary. Since this hill is much higher than the rest of the city, it gives the impression that Mary is overlooking all of Santiago. You can see this hill from anywhere in the city.

There are a series of walkways leading up the hill. Thankfully, you can ride a funicular to the top in just a few minutes. We waited for about a half hour to get a ticket.

Mary – Cerro San Cristobal

As we waited, we met a young family from the Santiago who told us much about life in Chile and about their city. They reflected the gracious and welcoming attitude of the people. As it turned out, we did not find out until after the half-hour wait that they would not take a credit card for payment. The young couple we met insisted on paying for our ride to the top. (I was thinking: “Sure, that would happen in Miami.” It made me wish we were more welcoming of visitors in our city!)

The view from the top was spectacular. Close to the summit there is a place where worship services are held; there is also a rather large chapel, and flowers, lots of flowers. From the top of this hill, you can get well oriented with the lay of the city. (No, you cannot climb stairs to the top of Mary!)

We made the decision before we rode to the top to walk down the hill to Bellavista. As it turned out, this was a rather long walk of almost five miles. The roadway, the only open way all the way to the bottom, encircles the entire hill. The good news is that it was all downhill! Along the way, we had to chance to see families enjoying Sunday picnics, bike rides, and also taking in the sights. We also were given a 360 degree view of the city.

Selfie from top of Cerro San Cristobal

By the time we made it back to Bellavista our feet were tired and our throats were parched. The good news: it was time for dinner! There were three types of restaurants in Bellavista. First, there were ones clearly for college students. They each advertised the cheapest beer. Second, there were ones for tourists, more expensive and clearly very trendy. Third, there were ones for the locals with dishes we had never heard of. We wanted local food so that we could try new tastes to complement our experiences of the day.

By the time we reached our hotel, it was clear why people love this city. The people were gracious and friendly. There always seemed to be someone happy to help us and ready to explain things. The variety of the barrios in architecture and activity make the city all-together a place of many moods, and refreshing diversity.